Jeff Ward and Marvel’s Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D

While not much is known about the actor’s mysterious character, named Deke — and he couldn’t reveal any spoilers from the epic two-part season premiere — Ward was able to offer a few hints about how the newcomer fits into the S.H.I.E.L.D. dynamic.

“I can tell you that Deke is a guy that knows how to get things. He’s a guy that has kind of mastered the hostile environment that he was born into and continues to have to live in,” he explained. “I think it’s given him a very particular set of morals and a way of thinking about the world.”

“They meet me, and I’m able to shed some light on where they are and what’s going on,” added Ward, noting that while he may be the newcomer on the show, it’s his character the agents are looking to for direction. “It’s really fun to kind of being playing catch-up with them instead of them being the anchor. They don’t really know what’s going on, and it was an interesting experience coming in and being the new guy in a world where I’m the one who knows what’s going on and they don’t.”

And it certainly won’t be all smooth sailing between Deke — whom Ward describes as “a big truth teller” — and the tight-knit team.

“He’s not afraid to antagonize them, and say things that are the truth, because he’s not part of the team,” the actor noted. “So it makes for a lot of really fun interactions, because, you know, Deke’s got no standing with these people, but he is very much stuck with them. It’s a really fun back-and-forth journey.”